I’m dead tired. I slept at 5am this morning and woke up before 7am. It’s my fault I guess.. But that extra staying-up-late time was unforgettable.

This was my second time to Vietnam. The first time in 2008 (refer to March 2008 archive if you want), I went with my family to Hoi An, which is quieter and less advanced than Ho Chi Min city. Most things were similar, for example, most of the population drove motorcycles and horns remained the popular tool for saying “hi” among drivers.

The past week, crossing roads has only been traumatising. I don’t understand why they authorities can’t invest in some traffic lights for pedestrian crossings. I didn’t manage to spot even a single traffic light for pedestrians. There are plenty of zebra crossings where pedestrians are the ones forced to give way to drivers. The drivers just continue driving even when I’m trying to make my way across the road. I eventually came to the conclusion that the only way to reduce stress levels while crossing roads is to cross with both eyes closed.

I have classified the activities during this WOW trip into 2 main categories – learning about Vietnamese history/culture and helping the Vietnamese in need. Maybe there’s also an “others” section which includes planting mangroves and visiting factories.

I learnt about Vietnamese history through visits to museums and other important landmarks. The Vietnam War’s long-lasting impacts are still felt today. Most of those who didn’t die then suffered injuries for the rest of their lives. Later generations were also affected because the chemicals sprayed (Agent Orange) from the US caused things like miscarriages and abnormal growth of babies. I went to visit a handicraft factory specially for those who suffered injuries and disabilities due to the war. I admire the fact that despite having to go through so much, those workers were determined to move on in life instead of wallowing in their misfortunes.

My class went down to Long Phuoc village, Vinh Long province, along the Mekong River to help the locals living there. We re-built a house for a poor family, of course, with the help of the local men. This house-building was not what I expected it to be. We had to use water palm leaves and cut bamboo for making the house. The houses aren’t made of cement or bricks. We had to use raffia (some woody stuff) strings to tie the leaves to the bamboo structure of the house. It wasn’t easy tying it together because the we didn’t exactly “tie” them together. We had to wind up the string in a certain way such that it was tight and secure - no knots involved. It took me countless tries and patience from the local helpers to finally get it right. Nevertheless, it was a tiring but fulfilling experience.

Back in Ho Chi Min city, my class went to School of the Future (a school for orphans/children with down syndrome) to help out. It wasn’t the type of school I expected – with a nice open area and maybe a playground. Instead, I faced a run-down building which was part of a row of shop houses. We put up some performances and went into groups to play with the children. I helped out with teaching the children origami. It’s not as easy as it seems. Remember, these children are not as intellectually inclined and can only understand Vietnamese, and only a minority of my class knows that “sin chao” means “hi” in Vietnamese. However, despite the language barrier, we tried our best using sign language and the universal language of love (haha.. sorry for the clichéness..) to entertain the children. It made me happy seeing the smiles on the faces of the two boys I was helping.

The WOW trip has also strengthened bonds among my class. Living together for the past 7 days provided a good opportunity for me to learn more about my classmates and appreciate our differences. The times the group of us stayed up till the wee hours of the night to play and just enjoy life were memorable. Sadly, there probably won’t be anymore opportunities to bond like that.

I’m really tired. Bye for now.